ISL 2024-25: Chennaiyin FC Fall 0-1 to Bengaluru FC, Crash Out Of Top 6 Race

Chennaiyin FC suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Bengaluru FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Tuesday, marking their final away fixture of the Indian Super League 2024-25 season. The result confirmed that the Marina Machans are now out of contention for a playoff spot with two games left in the campaign.

Head coach Owen Coyle made a single change to the starting lineup that secured a victory over East Bengal, with Farukh Choudhary coming in for the departing Kiyan Nassiri. Elsinho and Ryan Edwards retained their roles in the heart of the defence, while Wilmar Jordan Gil led the attack.

The Chennai side started the match on the front foot, pressing high and exploiting the flanks to put pressure on the Bengaluru backline. Their first real opening arrived just before the half-hour mark when Irfan Yadwad tested Bengaluru goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu from a tight angle. Soon after, Jordan Gil connected with a Connor Shields cross but failed to convert the opportunity.

The hosts took the lead in the 37th minute when Rahul Bheke capitalized on a set-piece, volleying the ball past Chennaiyin goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz. The visitors responded swiftly, with Jordan Gil unleashing a powerful strike from distance that forced Sandhu into a sharp save. The Colombian forward had another chance moments later, meeting a Shields' cross with a header that narrowly missed the target.

Despite being a goal down, Chennaiyin displayed resilience after the break, with Nawaz making crucial saves in the 56th and 71st minutes to keep his team in the contest. Coyle introduced striker Daniel Chima Chukwu in an effort to inject fresh energy into the attack, and the Nigerian forward immediately caused problems for the Bengaluru defence. He saw his initial effort blocked seconds after coming on and later had another opportunity inside the box, but the tight marking from the home side denied him a clear shot on goal.

In the dying moments, substitute Lukas Brambilla came close to snatching an equaliser with a well-struck volley, only to see his attempt glance off the side-netting.

With their away fixtures concluded, Chennaiyin FC will now shift focus to their remaining home games against NorthEast United and Jamshedpur FC at the Marina Arena on March 3 and 9, respectively, as they aim to finish their season on a high note.